Beverly Cleary (1916–2021)

Oh gee, oh my. There are just some special times when YA oldies are the best!

I first read this 1950s novel from my favorite childhood author (and one of my all-time favorite authors, period) back in my tweens. Now I've also read the book about three times in different years of my adulthood.

Although I've always adored the story, I didn't discern back in my adolescence just how wise and poignant of a story this is—not only for its portrayal of young romance and the road to maturity but for show more its reflections on mother-daughter relationships as well.

Back when I reread the novel for the first time as an adult, I found that I'd misremembered Philip as some kind of macho guy. That's likely due to my memory of the image of the teenage boy leaning casually against the tree beside a shy-looking Shelley on the book cover of the 1980s Laurel-Leaf reprint.

But Philip is a more interesting character the way Cleary actually wrote him.

Also, Hartley is, well, Hartley—good ol' Hartley, if you know who I'm talking about!—and Shelley's thoughts about life and love at the end of the novel put honest-to-goodness tears in my eyes during one of my adulthood rereads.

Granted, this last time, I didn't cry. But the nostalgia in my shakily smiling heart was as real as ever. What a valuable overall experience to once read of a heroine who's older than you, to read of her again (and again) when you're older than she is, and to see much more in her story!

Now. At some point, folks grouped four of Cleary's novels into a series called First Love. However, I don't consider one of the books, Sister of the Bride, to really fit in the series, since the heroine doesn't experience much in the way of romance in that book. Hence, I can feel just fine rereading that book whenever.

But I always reread the rest of the First Love novels in a particular order, to let my emotions progress accordingly:

1) The Luckiest Girl
2) Jean and Johnny
3) Fifteen

You see, the ending of The Luckiest Girl is a bittersweet one. Emphasis on the "sweet," but still. And the ending of Fifteen is the lightest, like the carefree and utterly happiest of sighs.

Ahhhh.

So, yeah. If you've never read the First Love novels before, I'd recommend starting with Lucky Shelley's "all the feels" story, here. show less

Oh my goodness, the things this little girl does...I don't know if Beverly Clearly followed a kid around for weeks, observed her own children, or remembered her own childhood for these books, but man, I'm constantly amazed by the real insight she puts into these stories. Ramona has such a rough time in first grade, I almost wish she was a real kid that I could put my arms around and tell that she is seen and she is understood. The owl episode, especially, made me wish for her sake that she show more could really explain her thoughts and decisions. I knew the moment that new room was announced, it would be a source of contention between sisters as to who would get it—it's 100% accurate. And then Ramona's unhappiness building up until she just had to get it out has hilarious, and then very touching, consequences.

Stockard Channing's narration is pretty great, too, and I recommend it for anyone who might be interested, young or old. show less

Given what I just named my new baby goat, and that I came across this paperback in one of those little free libraries just a few weeks after she was born, it seemed it was meant to be: time for a re-read after 40 long years.

Yes, Beverly Cleary deserves to be remembered and read and re-read after all these years. Her Ramona is so very real, it was kind of a difficult read. After all, it's largely about her frustrations.

Real things:
- What it's like having a sibling 5 years older (yup)
- The show more details, like the kindergarten being in a 'temporary building'
- The little (used to be called normal-sized) house where everyone can hear everything; Beezus is constantly butting in
- Beezus being older but not so much older that she can't join in late night sessions of sisters scaring each other

The illustrations have evolved several times over the long, long shelf life of the Cleary books. This edition I happened to score is not the most modern - I see some actually have some stills from a movie that got made around 2010 - I disapprove wholeheartedly; Beezus looks to be cast way too old. But it's not exactly the edition that I read as a kid in grammar school, either. Ramona was cuter then, and in the older ones. I have to find those.

And indeed now I must, as they say, "collect them all." Ramona the Pest. Ramona Forever. Ramona forever, indeed!! Loving my little goat name even more. show less

Mr. Quimby has gone back to school to become a teacher, Beezus is starting junior high, and Ramona's going to a new primary school. All the while, Mrs. Quimby must go to work every day to keep the family afloat. With everyone facing collective changes, Ramona wants to be the kind of girl her family can depend on in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by author Beverly Cleary.

Not to say I didn't enjoy this book as a child (I got such a kick out of all the Ramona books), but I'm quite certain I enjoyed this show more one more, this time around.

I can't get over how well the little-things-that-are-big-things are captured in Ramona's stories. Here, we have the joy of getting a brand new, smooth, pearly pink eraser to start off the school year. The anger when some wise guy classmate steals that eraser! The humiliation of getting sick in school. The warmth and coziness of a family car ride home on a rainy evening. The thrill and luxury of going out for dinner at Whopperburger!

And the absolute best part of class at school: silent reading! How handy to then be able to pull out something as mature and important as "Sustained Silent Reading" after school, to avoid playing with that annoying little Willa Jean for too long. Even if... "One of these days Willa Jean was sure to catch on that [Ramona] was just reading a book, and Ramona wanted to postpone that time as long as possible."

I laughed out loud several times, I was touched along the way, and I'm as hyped as ever to be revisiting this series. show less